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August 13, 2007
To give or to serve: that is the question
I think Trent raises a good question in his post "Money, Spirituality, and Charity."
Most of us are between these two extremes. We work at jobs that are much more financially lucrative than that of the volunteer, but almost none of us can hope to achieve those huge levels of wealth. Yet by our efforts, we can make a huge difference, too. Let’s say I were to set aside 10% of my income for the year for charitable giving, or all income over a certain limit. This could at least partially fund a social worker’s job - because of your giving, someone could spend their day making a difference in the world. Thus, someone with marketable skills that don’t translate well to public service can still give a great deal spiritually.
Basically, Trent raises the question that if God has gifted you to make money and you leave a portion of that to the church, does that equate with those who choose to give their lives in service to the church or other social-based organizations who make much smaller salaries but see direct results of their efforts?
I think this is a question that a lot of people are asking.
I really think the answer is "both - and". Just because you are able to give a large sum of money doesn't remove your obligation of service through action. However, just because you give your life to public service or social-based organizations doesn't make you more spiritual than others.
To the super-weatlhy, giving away money is sometimes seen as a status symbol. (This is a hang over from the ancient Greek-Roman world where philanthropy was a "sport" of the wealthy.) God's not interested in making a "splash" of press for you. Rather, he's interested in all of you. Your money and your talents.
Trent's argument (And I'm not picking on Trent. He just happens to be the author of the post.) assumes that chairtable giving and service are mutually exclusive. That's a falty premise.
Giving and service flow freely from those who have a generous spirit. And that only comes from those who understand that their skill and talent come with expectation and responsibility.
Money can't buy your way into heaven. And service won't either.
Posted by bstroup at August 13, 2007 8:30 AM
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